Comparison between a FEL amplifier and oscillator

Previous experiments with the Raman FEL, situated at the Twente University, showed that the output was influenced by the rather strong increase of the current density with time. The field emission diode has been modified to produce a more constant current pulse to simplify the analysis of the measurements. This resulted in a lower current density of the electron beam. With this new diode two set-ups are studied. In the first set-up the laser is still configured as an amplifier whereas in the second set-up the laser configuration is changed into an oscillator using a Bragg reflector with a space-variable corrugation height. For both set-ups we measured the frequency spectrum for specific values of undulator and guide magnetic fields. The relative performance of the amplifier and the oscillator configuration will be presented

Design of a 30 GHz bragg reflector for a Raman FEL

A design of a Bragg reflector for a Raman FEL is described. It is shown that mode conversion occurs whenever the axial wavenumbers of the two modes fulfil the Bragg condition. With a constant ripple of the corrugation it is shown that the reflected radiation also contains higher order modes, assuming that the incident radiation consists only of a TE11 mode. The mode purity can be increased by increasing the length of the reflector at the expense of a smaller reflection bandwidth. A more flexible method is by applying a Hamming window to the corrugation of the reflector. Contributions of other modes to the reflected radiation can in that case be neglected. The reflector will be installed in a Raman laser to be able to compare the amplifier with the oscillator configuration. Therefore some preliminary results are also presented about the start-up of the Raman laser

Modeling the impact of coincidence loss on count rate statistics and noise performance in counting detectors for imaging applications

Coincidence loss can have detrimental effects on the image quality provided by pixelated counting detectors, especially in dose-sensitive applications like cryoEM where the information extracted from the recorded signal needs to be maximized. In this work, we investigate the impact of coincidence loss phenomena on the recorded statistics in counting detectors producing sparse binary images. First, we derive exact analytical expressions for the mean and the variance of the recorded counts as a function of the incoming event rate. Second, we address the problem of the mean and variance of the recorded events (i.e., pixel clusters identified as individual incoming events), which also acts as a function of the incoming event rate. In this frame, we review previous studies from different disciplines on approximated two-dimensional models, and we critically reinterpret them in our context and evaluate the suitability of their adoption in the present case. The knowledge of the first two momenta of the recorded statistics allows inferring about the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the detective quantum efficiency at zero frequency (DQE0). Analytical results are validated through comparison with numerical data obtained with a custom-made Monte Carlo code. We chose a realistic case study for cryoEM application consisting of a 25-µm-thick MAPS detector featuring a pixel size of 10 µm and illuminated with electrons of 300 keV energy over a wide range of incoming rate

The effect of a Bragg reflector on the spectral stability of the Twente Raman free electron laser

The spectral distribution of the Twente Raman FEL has been studied as a function of the interaction length for an amplifier configuration. A stable spectrum was found for the minimum required interaction length necessary for the RF signal to be detected. Large variations in total emitted energy are observed however. With increasing interaction length the spectral distribution not only evolves but deviations are also observed, i.e. for some shots distributions are found which do not conform to the average distribution. For even longer interaction lengths the spectra can be grouped in a few different patterns. The influence of the feedback on the spectral distribution has been studied by changing the configuration to an oscillator using a Bragg reflector. For all settings investigated, the oscillator showed a more stable spectrum, i.e., less spread in total emitted energy as well as less spread in spectral distribution. For some settings operation on a single frequency in the Ka band was observed

Nonadiabatic effects in the dynamics of atoms confined in a cylindric time-orbiting-potential magnetic trap

In a time-orbiting-potential magnetic trap the neutral atoms are confined by means of an inhomogeneous magnetic field superimposed to an uniform rotating one. We perform an analytic study of the atomic motion by taking into account the nonadiabatic effects arising from the spin dynamics about the local magnetic field. Geometric-like magnetic-fields determined by the Berry's phase appear within the quantum description. The application of a variational procedure on the original quantum equation leads to a set of dynamical evolution equations for the quantum average value of the position operator and of the spin variables. Within this approximation we derive the quantum-mechanical ground state configuration matching the classical adiabatic solution and perform some numerical simulations.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Pancreatic cancer-associated diabetes mellitus: an open field for proteomic applications.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with pancreatic cancer in more than 80% of the cases. Clinical, epidemiological, and experimental data indicate that pancreatic cancer causes diabetes mellitus by releasing soluble mediators which interfere with both beta-cell function and liver and muscle glucose metabolism. Methods: We analysed, by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF), a series of pancreatic cancer cell lines conditioned media, pancreatic cancer patients' peripheral and portal sera, comparing them with controls and chronic pancreatitis patients' sera. Results: MALDI-TOF analysis of pancreatic cancer cells conditioned media and patients' sera indicated a low molecular weight peptide to be the putative pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic factor. The sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of tumor samples from diabetic and non-diabetic patients revealed the presence of a 1500 Da peptide only in diabetic patients. The amino acid sequence of this peptide corresponded to the N-terminal of an S-100 calcium binding protein, which was therefore suggested to be the pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic factor. Conclusions: We identified a tumor-derived peptide of 14 amino acids sharing a 100% homology with an S-100 calcium binding protein, which is probably the pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic facto

Pulse pileup model for spectral resolved X-ray photon-counting detectors with dead time and retrigger capability

We developed an analytical model to evaluate the effect of signal pileup on the recorded energy spectrum in X-ray photon-counting detectors affected by dead time and equipped with retrigger capability. The retrigger function allows the system to work in a specific non-paralyzable counting mode by counting the time-over-threshold of piled-up signals in multiples of a predefined and selectable retrigger time. The model, designed for rectangle-like-shaped signals, allows for arbitrary input energy spectra and can significantly help understand and optimize the behavior of counting detectors with spectral capabilities and retrigger mechanisms in applications involving polychromatic beams, e.g., spectral X-ray imaging and computed tomography (CT), in a time-efficient way. Dedicated numerical simulations were used to validate the model under several conditions of incoming flux and threshold energy, with excellent results

Pancreatic cancer-derived S-100A8 N-terminal peptide: a diabetes cause?

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to identify the pancreatic cancer diabetogenic peptide. METHODS: Pancreatic tumor samples from patients with (n=15) or without (n=7) diabetes were compared with 6 non-neoplastic pancreas samples using SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: A band measuring approximately 1500 Da was detected in tumors from diabetics, but not in neoplastic samples from non-diabetics or samples from non-neoplastic subjects. Sequence analysis revealed a 14 amino acid peptide (1589.88 Da), corresponding to the N-terminal of the S100A8. At 50 nmol/L and 2 mmol/L, this peptide significantly reduced glucose consumption and lactate production by cultured C(2)C(12) myoblasts. The 14 amino acid peptide caused a lack of myotubular differentiation, the presence of polynucleated cells and caspase-3 activation. CONCLUSIONS: The 14 amino acid peptide from S100A8 impairs the catabolism of glucose by myoblasts in vitro and may cause hyperglycemia in vivo. Its identification in biological fluids might be helpful in diagnosing pancreatic cancer in patients with recent onset diabetes mellitus

Determination of the Biomass Content of End-of-Life Tyres

Studies have been conducted in France and Spain for (1) the validation of sampling methods to achieve representative samples of end‐of‐life tyre (ELT) materials and (2) the comparison and validation of test methods to quantify their biomass content. Both studies conclude that the 14C techniques are the most reliable techniques for determining the biomass content of end‐of‐life tyres. Indeed, thermogravimetry and pyrolysis‐GC/MS do not lead to results consistent with the theoretical content of biogenic materials present in tyres, and results in both cases differ considerably from the known natural rubber content of the reference samples studied using thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, in the two last techniques, natural isoprene cannot be distinguished from synthetic isoprene. Results obtained with radiocarbon analysis based on 14C contents could be used as reference values of the biomass content of the ELTs: in the ranges of 18–22% for passenger car tyres and 29–34% for truck tyres, in line with actual natural rubber and other components content. Additionally, the presence of textile fibres and stearic acid, which are known sources of biomass in the tyre, cannot be evaluated by thermogravimetry and pyrolysis‐GC/MS techniques

Optimization of the appearance quality in CO2 processed ready-to-eat carrots through image analysis

A high-pressure CO2 process applied to ready-to-eat food products guarantees an increase of both their microbial safety and shelf-life. However, the treatment often produces unwanted changes in the visual appearance of products depending on the adopted process conditions. Accordingly, the alteration of the visual appearance influences consumers’ perception and acceptability. This study aims at identifying the optimal treatment conditions in terms of visual appearance by using an artificial vision system. The developed methodology was applied to fresh-cut carrots (Daucus carota) as the test product. The results showed that carrots packaged in 100% CO2 and subsequently treated at 6 MPa and 40◦C for 15 min maintained an appearance similar to the fresh product for up to 7 days of storage at 4◦C. Mild appearance changes were identified at 7 and 14 days of storage in the processed products. Microbiological analysis performed on the optimal treatment condition showed the microbiological stability of the samples up to 14 days of storage at 4◦C. The artificial vision system, successfully applied to the CO2 pasteurization process, can easily be applied to any food process involving changes in the appearance of any food product